


let’s cause a little trouble

by mermaidm0tel



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Azula needs a hug, F/M, High School AU, also a warning: things get kinda dark, bad boy zuko, he’s a good guy, he’s still awkward tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:01:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27548752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidm0tel/pseuds/mermaidm0tel
Summary: Mai finds something to live for.
Relationships: Azula & Mai & Ty Lee, Azula & Mai & Ty Lee & Suki, Azula & Mai (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai & Suki & Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 81





	1. seasons are changing, waves are crashing

The weather is fittingly overcast.

Mai is grateful for the fast-approaching end of summer. She liked autumn; it wasn’t too hot or too cold, just a constant comfortable temperature.

Today, though, the air is thick with humidity and the smell of summer rain, clouds covering the sky like swaths of silver cotton in a baby blue backdrop as she walked towards the school buildings, umbrella in hand, feeling small amid the bustling crowd. She passes a crosswalk, and she hears the sound of an engine rattling and tires spinning to a slow whirl against the asphalt before someone says her name.

Keeping her gaze straight, she walks on and elects to ignore the noxious red car creeping along on the street beside her.

“Mai!” the voice calls insistently. “It _is_ Mai, right?”

With an internal sigh, she gives in and stops in her tracks, slowly turning to the side. As luck would have it, a boy in her class infamous for being a delinquent sat in the car a few feet in front of her, smirking. Beside him sat his friend with the undercut, a grin on his face. Despite her upbringing, Mai was never one to let people’s reputation precede them or believe baseless rumors, but both were clearly up to something and she refuses to get involved.

“I’m Zuko,” he says. He gestures to his friend. “This is Sokka.”

“I know,” she responds flatly.

“Need a ride?”

“No, thanks.” Mai turns and resumes walking, brow quirking in annoyance when the car continues to tail her at its snail-like speed. Among many other things she hated, owing people any favors was one.

“Don’t be stubborn, you’re getting wet,” Zuko calls invitingly over the sound of the heavy rain.

Mai doesn’t respond, eyes ahead of her path. She hears a booming laugh from his friend.

“I’m just trying to help you out!”

She stays quiet, choosing to ignore him and keep her pace.

“Suit yourself,” he huffs.

Sokka’s roaring cackles fade out of earshot as the car speeds off. Mai lets out the jaded sigh she’s been holding, busying her mind with thoughts of the day’s upcoming activities to keep from mulling over the incident as she walks the rest of the way.

By the time she reaches the gates, the rain has lessened to a drizzle. She closes her umbrella, shaking it off as she heads inside towards the shoe cubbies. She props it up against the wall before treading over to her locker, kicking off her boots as she works it open.

“Wah, it’s raining so much today… Oh, good morning, Mai!”

As she finishes changing, she turns to see Ty Lee beaming, approaching with her shoes in hand, her hair in its usual long braid and bangs swept to the side.

“Morning,” Mai greets her friend amicably.

“First day of second term! Are you excited?”

She shrugs.

“Have you thought about what to write in your career goal form?” Ty Lee asks as she swaps her sneakers for the school shoes. “I hear they’re giving them out soon.”

Mai nods, answering before she could question further, “Something in politics, maybe.”

“Ahh, just as expected from a governor’s daughter!” Ty Lee says cheerfully.

“Just as expected.” Mai smiles weakly.

“I think when the time comes for me to fill in my form, I’ll choose teaching,” Ty Lee carries on thoughtfully.

“That’s nice. I can see you doing that.”

“Aw, really? Thanks, Mai!”

The doors open and a girl strides in, chin held high, her hair piled atop her head in a messy bun, loose strands framing the sides of her face. She ignores the pair and stands in front of her shoe locker.

“Good morning, Azula!” Ty Lee chirps.

Her head whips to the side where they stood, a frown set on her painted red lips. “What’s so good about it?”

Ty Lee simply brushes off her response and laughs. “Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I see.”

“Hmph.”

Mai hikes her bag further up her arm. “I should get going.”

“Okay,” Ty Lee nods. “See you at lunch?”

“Sure.”

Mai makes her way inside the hall, not paying attention to her peers’ idle chatter as they all walked to their destinations. As she reaches the first flight of stairs, a girl with short hair strides past in a fury, shoulder bumping against hers. She stops, looking on in disfavor as her classmate stomps further away. There’s a damp spot left on her shoulder.

“Suki!” Sokka comes flying by, hot on the auburn-haired girl’s heels. “Babe, come on!”

“Do  _not_ call me that!”

“Don’t be mad, it was just a prank!”

“Why did you feel the need to put it on the internet?” Suki’s voice carries into the stairwell before a door slams. A shriek follows, “Don’t come in here, you pervert! This is the girls’ bathroom!”

A melodic chime plays, signaling the five-minute window allotted for students to make their way to classes, spurring Mai on to pick up her pace and head to her classroom. She takes her pick of the available seats, the leftmost corner at the second row, and watches the rain pattering against the windowpanes while the rest of her classmates file in and take their own.

The bell indicating the start of class rings out in the room, and a bag drops on the floor beside the chair on her right before someone occupies it.

“Hey,” Zuko says, drawing her attention. He offers her a half-smile.

_What do you want?_ Mai thinks, staring back impassively.

“It’s raining pretty heavily. Looks like it’s not letting up anytime soon,” he remarks casually, jutting his chin towards the windows. “If you want a ride home after school, let me know.”

Weird offer aside, the statement makes Mai regard him with curiosity. Even without her parents’ indoctrination, she was aware that he comes from an affluent family well-known for their high status. The fact that he has a car isn’t necessarily surprising; what piqued her interest is how he’s even allowed to drive when the legal minimum age for driving is eighteen. She asks a question that’s been on her mind since their brief interaction earlier in the morning.

“You have a license?”

“Ah, yeah,” he says with a slight laugh, a hand on the back of his neck. “I’m already eighteen. I couldn’t attend school when I was 13, but they wouldn’t let me skip a grade, so…”

“Why?” Mai asks despite herself. 

Zuko hesitates, his hand dropping and a perturbed expression washing over his features. He shakes his head and the half-smile reappears. “It’s a long story.”

She supposes it had something to do with the scar on the side of his face, taking up his left eye and extending to his ear. She doesn’t ask, but he catches her staring. Out of practiced politeness, she quickly directs her gaze to his golden eyes. “Okay.”

“So, is that a yes?” he asks, his head tilted cockily to one side.

“What? No.” Mai scoffs. “You’re weird. Why are you coming up to people offering them rides?”

“I only asked you.”

“Doesn’t make you less weird,” she says flatly, drawing back her stare towards the front of the room to demonstrate her lack of want to continue the conversation.

Zuko laughs, but before he could formulate a response, their homeroom teacher strolls in.

“Morning, everyone,” she says in greeting as she slides the door closed behind her. “Forgive me for being late.”

“Good morning, Miss Nakamura,” the class choruses faintly while she sets her things on top of the podium in front of the board.

She smiles awkwardly. “I hope you all had a great summer vacation! Welcome back. I’ll be assigning your new seats today, so we can get it out of the way.”

The door slides open and Suki walks in with a muttered apology and a shallow bow towards the teacher, making a beeline for one of the empty chairs, her boyfriend still on her trail.

“Okay, shall we go based on last names?” Miss Nakamura says with a clap of her hands. She picks up a sheet from the pile of papers in front of her. “Hmm, let’s mix things up and start from the back. Bear with me, guys.”

The teacher calls out surnames and students periodically stand to switch to their designated seats while the entire time, Mai dreads the inevitable: she’s stuck with Zuko as her seatmate, for the current term at best and the rest of the year at worst. She catches a glimpse of him by accident and sure enough, there’s a smirk on his lips, directed at her. She frowns at him, unamused, and turns away.  _Why is he suddenly so interested in my existence?_

“Akashiro, Zuko…” Miss Nakamura calls out, “and Aiuchi, Mai.” She looks up from the roll call sheet and chuckles, finding the pair already in their assigned seats. “My, it looks like you two have great ESP today!”

The teacher finishes allocating the rest of the seats, commending the class on their perfect attendance for the day and directing a lighthearted comment at Zuko:

“It’s good to see you being present in class. I hope you make it a habit for the rest of the year.”

“I might,” he says, with a sidelong glance at Mai.

Homeroom ends quickly and their next few classes go by in a blur. Before Mai knew it, it was time for lunch.

She puts her notes away and takes out her packed lunch as some of her peers leave the room, no doubt to use the bathroom and stretch their legs. Others rearrange desks and chairs to use as lunch tables.

Beside her, Zuko straightens up from his slouch. “Hey, I—”

“Mai!” Ty Lee stands outside the threshold, hand raised in a wave while the other held her bento. Beside her was Azula, looking disinterested, own bento in hand. Zuko scowls upon seeing his sister. The two begin to approach, with Azula coming to a halt in front of Zuko’s desk, a smirk on her face.

“Zuzu,” she says. “What a surprise.”

“This is  _my_ classroom,” he quips, before letting out a dissatisfied groan. “Why are you in here?”

“I invited her,” Ty Lee says sprightly, smiling. “Are you joining us too? Oh—I hope you don’t mind, Mai.”

She shrugs.

“Are you two even allowed here?” Zuko grumbles.

While Ty Lee sets up a makeshift table from the desks and borrows chairs for herself and Azula, Mai watches the siblings in interest as they continue to bicker, noting the similarities in their appearance. They had a similar facial structure, with defined jawlines and sharp features. Both had the same amber irises, although Zuko’s eyes were more narrow and elongated whereas Azula’s were slightly rounder.

“Zuko,” Sokka calls from the back of the class. “Hurry up, man, I’m starving!”

“Go on now,” Azula says haughtily. “Shoo.”

“You’re the worst.” Zuko’s jaw sets in annoyance. He pushes back his chair and shoulders his bag as he stands. Mai turns her attention back to her desk, picking up her chopsticks and taking a stab at her food. She ignores Azula sitting across from her, setting her lunch down. Ty Lee takes a seat next to her new friend.

“Let’s eat!” she says before enthusiastically digging into her lunch, while Azula begins to slowly unpack her own.

“So, what’s up with you and my ugly brother?”

Mai lifts her head, looking at the girl in front of her blankly. She raises an unimpressed brow in question. 

“Well?” Azula says, her red lips curling up into a smile. Mai notes that her uniform is pristine and completely free of wrinkles; even the ribbon was immaculately tied around her collar. Paired with her perfectly made-up face, she looked like a porcelain doll.

“What’s up with your face?” she counters, internally wincing at how lame she sounded. “Are you even allowed to wear that much makeup?”

“Who’s going to do anything about it?” Azula shrugs. “And I asked _you_ a question, Goody Two-Shoes.”

“Nothing’s up,” Mai grudgingly mutters her answer. “I don’t even know him.”

“I think he’s interested in you, though,” Ty Lee sing-songs. “Someone’s got a crush!”

Mai simply rolls her eyes and continues eating.  _As if._

Azula scoffs. “How juvenile.”

“Sorry, is this seat taken?”

The trio looks up at the imposing figure who had spoken. Suki stands by their makeshift table, smiling cordially. She’s holding her own packed lunch in her hands.

Azula turns her nose up. “Who are  _you_?”

“Oh,” Suki’s smile falters. “I’m Suki. I’m friends with your brother. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Come sit with us!” Ty Lee says, waving a hand at her beckoningly.

Suki obliges, taking Zuko’s vacant chair. “Thanks.” She turns to look at Mai. “Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about this morning. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you alright?”

Mai nods. “Don’t worry about it.”

Ty Lee looks between the two. “What happened?”

“Just another one of Sokka’s antics,” Suki sighs. “He thought it would be funny to squeeze a water bottle into my face. There’s no limit to how childish boys can be.”

_Oh_ , Mai muses inwardly. It explains the spot that had been left on her blouse earlier from when they’d bumped shoulders.

“Aw, that sucks,” Ty Lee says empathetically. “And tell me about it. They’re just terrible.”

“I know! And the worst part is, he posted a video,” Suki rants. “He’s deleted it, but it just makes me so mad that he did it in the first place.”

“That is awful.” Ty Lee makes a face in thought. “Sokka, huh? Where do I know that name from… oh, I’m friends with his younger sister!”

“You know Katara?”

“Yeah!” she nods. “I can’t believe they’re related.”

“Right?” Suki chuckles.

Mai looks away from the two, only to meet Azula’s bored gaze. The girl sighs, putting down her chopsticks in favor of taking out her phone with a roll of her eyes. Mai resumes eating her lunch, content to let the other two carry on their conversation.

“So, Mai,” Suki says, prompting Mai to look at her. “You seem to be Zuko’s latest object of attention.”

“Ooh,” Ty Lee giggles and Mai rolls her eyes. “Is he into her? Did he tell you anything?”

Azula clears her throat and starts to pack up her untouched lunch, much to the three’s confusion. “I want orange juice. Ty Lee, let’s go.”

“Wait, what?” Ty Lee pouts. “But I’m not done eating!”

Azula stands and begins to stalk off while Ty Lee immediately packs up, hastily saying her farewells as she hurried to follow her. “Bye guys! I’ll see you later— Azula, wait!”

“Bye,” Mai calls back.

Suki’s mouth sets in a firm line. “Anyway, you should be careful, Mai. I think Sokka put him up to something. Just now he asked me, like, twenty questions about you. Don’t worry though, I didn’t say anything.”

“I appreciate it. Thanks, Suki.”

Feeling a distinctive prickle on the back of her neck, Mai cranes her head to find the cause of the sensation. Her eyes land on Zuko, staring at her from across the room. He flashes her an awkward grin and she looks away sharply, irritation blooming in her chest.

“Of course,” Suki says resolutely, putting away her empty lunch box. “I’m not going to stand for whatever it is they’re doing.” She smiles apologetically. “Ah, anyway, sorry about all that. Wanna put these back?”

Mai quickly finishes lunch and helps her return the desks and chairs to their original places, admittedly pleased to have someone to mutually complain about boredom with, finishing just as the lunch period ends. With a friendly goodbye, Suki returns to her seat, along with the rest of their form.

Sighing, Zuko slouches back in his chair as tutorial commences. “Hi.”

Mai keeps her full attention on the teacher’s lesson.

All his efforts were swiftly rebuffed. She completely ignores his presence until the dismissal bell rings after the  _o soji_. She blocks him out even as he follows her all the way down the stairs, tuning out his words and avoiding looking in his direction.

“Mai, come on!” Zuko reaches for her, and she sidesteps him, infuriated. “Hey. What’s wrong? What did I do?”

“Don’t touch me,” she says venomously. “You don’t know me. Whatever it is you’re playing at, I want no part of it. Just leave me alone.”

“What?” he snaps, frustrated. “What are you talking about? Did Suki say something?”

Anger bubbles up in Mai’s throat again, and she curtly turns her back to him with one last remark.

“Don’t  _ever_ talk to me again.”

She storms off towards the lockers, finding Ty Lee waiting with concern written on her face.

“Hey,” she says softly. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Mai gives a short nod, willing herself to calm down. She takes her umbrella. “It’s nothing. Come on, we’ll miss the train.”

They exit the school grounds and start to make their way towards the station when a distinct red sports car catches her eye.

Zuko looks straight ahead, one hand on the wheel, the other holding a lit cigarette. Azula stares at her through the open window as the car whips past, a ghastly scarlet smile on her face. 

The trains were particularly crowded that day, and it was approaching sunset when Mai finally reaches home.

“I’m back,” she calls, placing her shoes on the rack at the entrance and slipping her house slippers on.

The pitter-patter of her little brother’s small feet reach her ears. She looks up, seeing Tom-Tom slowly toddling his way towards her with a gummy grin. Mai finds herself smiling.

“Hello, dear,” Michi walks into the hall. “How was school today?”

“Boring,” Mai shrugs, bending down to pick up her baby brother. “There wasn’t much going on since it’s the first day of term.”

“Oh, Mai. How could you be bored?” Michi tuts. “Are you really studying for your entrance exams?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Her mother nods, satisfied, reaching out to take Tom-Tom from her arms. “Go wash up. Your father will be home for dinner soon.”

Mai heads upstairs for a shower, sits through dinner with her family, and does her homework studiously.

When she turns in for the night, she finds herself thinking about the boy with a cigarette dangling between his fingers, a whitish cloud of smoke bursting from his lips, the image replaying over and over inside her eyelids.


	2. this is what makes us girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentions of an eating disorder

Much to Mai’s satisfaction, the following weeks go by without any sort of pestering from Zuko. He continues to attend classes daily, although they sit in silence for the duration of them all. She would catch his stolen stares now and then but refuses to acknowledge him, even if just to let him know how much he irritated her. Suki and Ty Lee continue to sit with her during lunch. Although to her chagrin, Zuko has abandoned his lunchtime rendezvous with Sokka and Jet and instead started to take his place among the girls some days, often engaging in Suki and Ty Lee’s conversations. Occasionally Azula joins the group, and today was one of those occasions.

Mai notices how she never touches her food, more than once wanting to ask, but she always thinks the better of it.

“Is that true, Mai?” Suki’s voice brings her out of her thoughts.

“What is?” she asks, uncomfortable with how the group turns their attention to her. Especially Zuko, who is staring unabashedly.

“Ty Lee says you have a part-time job at your aunt’s flower shop.” Suki smiles. “That sounds nice.”

“I just help out sometimes. It’s not an official thing.”

“How romantic,” Azula says mockingly. “Can you imagine? Sweet florist Mai in a quaint little flower shop… oh my, Zuzu, are you blushing? Is my dear little brother finally growing up?” She smiles in triumph as two pairs of eyes glared at her. “Gosh, you two are so easy to mess with.”

“I’m older than you!”

In an effort to stop another argument ensuing, Suki brings up the preparations for the upcoming sports festival.

From then on, Mai makes it a point to always keep herself busy with her studies to stay out of their conversations for the rest of all their lunch sessions.

One particular day after classes had ended, Mai makes her way to the lockers from the restroom, coming upon Ty Lee as she changes out of her school shoes.

“Hi, Mai!”

“Hey.”

“You know, Zuko’s offer still stands,” she says. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but he asked me to mention it. Sure you don’t wanna take him up on that? He seems like he genuinely likes you.”

Mai sighs wearily.

“Aw, give him a chance,” Ty Lee says with a pout. “I think you two would make such a cute couple!”

“Please,” Mai says tartly, setting her bag down to retrieve her shoes. “I know for a fact that this is all a game to him and his stupid friends. I’m not letting myself become some _thing_ he can occupy himself with then throw away once the thrill dies.”

“Huh.” Ty Lee utters. “Do _you_ like him?”

“That would be ridiculous.” Mai straightens up, finding Azula standing by the doors with a wicked smile on her red lips, like a cat discovering a bowl of cream. Her hair was out of its usual bun, falling around her shoulders in black layers, looking frizzier than normal.

“Wow, Mai. I think that was the most I’ve ever heard you speak at one time.”

“Ha-ha,” she replies dryly. “What happened, you lose your hair tie or something?”

“ _Funny_ ,” Azula says sarcastically. “Ty Lee and I are going shopping in the city. Why don’t you join us?”

“I have cram school,” Mai declines.

“That’s too bad. I think I’m starting to, dare I say, enjoy your company.” Azula sighs dramatically. “Well, we’re off. Come on, Ty, the car is waiting.”

With a roll of her eyes, Mai waves the two goodbye as they set off. She changes into her shoes and picks up her bag, heading out past the gates and onto the street, en route to the train station. Upon arriving, she spots an unusual sight.

She watches Zuko insert a card into a cigarette vending machine, finding her feet leading her towards him.

“How’d you get that?” she also finds herself asking, despite her best efforts.

He starts, looking around in a panic before his eyes land on her. “Oh, it’s you.” He retrieves the pack that falls from the machine. “Fake ID.”

“And how did you get _that_?”

“Why, you need one?” he teases, chuckling lightly at the resulting affronted expression on her face. “How nice that you’re finally showing some interest in me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Mai scoffs. “That’s not the case. What are you doing here, anyway?”

“See?”

“Shut up! Fine, I don’t care,” she huffs, turning away to stand near the platform, partly to gain some distance from him and partly to hide the rush of blood heating up her cheeks.

“My car’s at the shop,” Zuko says as he trails behind her, pocketing the small box. “Service and all that stuff.”

“Why not go with your sister? Looks like she has a chauffeur always driving her around.”

“We don’t live together,” he replies bluntly. “She lives with Father, and I live with my uncle.”

Mai succeeds in holding her tongue this time, sensing that once she asks that question, more would only follow. She glances his way, observing once again that he was staring.

“What?”

He shakes his head, a small smile on his face. “You know, if you just ask, I’d tell you everything about me. Here—”

“Not interested,” she cuts him off, chin held high standoffishly. Watching her train approach, she makes a move to step towards the edge of the platform when a hand suddenly encloses her wrist. “What are you doing?”

“The sports festival is coming up,” Zuko says, eyes searching hers.

“What?” Mai tugs against his iron grip unsuccessfully. The train is steadily getting closer. “Zuko, I can’t be late, don’t mess around!”

“Let’s play a game,” he continues. “Whoever gets the most points at the events gets whatever they want. You win, I’ll leave you alone. I win, you go out with me.”

“Don’t be absurd!”

The train comes to a stop. The doors open and people trickle out onto the platform, the new passengers starting to board after their exit.

“So?” Zuko prompts, his face a calm mask.

“Fine!” she snaps.

He tilts his head dubiously. “You swear?”

“Yes, I swear!”

He lets her go with a broad smile on his face. Mai rushes into the car and barely makes it before the doors slide shut. She turns to flash him a disgruntled look through the glass as the train gains speed, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. He waves cheerfully.

The following school day, Zuko sits in content silence throughout classes while Mai simmers. It’s only during lunchtime that he initiates a talk with her.

“We have a deal, right?” he asks, barely holding back his smile. “You won’t back out?”

“I promised, didn’t I?” Mai replies coolly. In her head, though, she’s picturing herself slapping him across the face with the force of a hundred horses stampeding. The thought makes the corners of her lips turn up amusedly.

He grins, none the wiser. “How noble of you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I see you two are on speaking terms again,” Ty Lee beams, startling the pair out of their bubble.

“For now,” Mai says impassively. Still wearing a satisfied smile, Zuko leaves to join his friends.

“Where’s Suki? She isn’t joining us?” Ty Lee asks, eyes scanning the classroom. “Ahh, I need to go to the bathroom…”

“She’s pretty busy helping out with preparation for the sports festival,” Mai says.

“I see! Oh. Ooh, I’ll be right back—” Ty Lee sets her lunch down on the desk and excuses herself to go to the bathroom.

“That girl has the bladder of a baby squirrel,” Mai mutters.

She looks back at Azula, who is currently eyeing her, poker-faced. Despite the thick layer of makeup, Mai notices her cheeks looking noticeably more gaunt, her hair still loose on her shoulders and lacking its usual shine. A bracelet hung loosely on her delicate wrist—so thin that Mai thinks she could snap it clean in half with enough pressure.

“I have a question I’ve been dying to ask since I met you.” Azula declares, her bony elbow resting on the table, chin in the palm of her hand. “Why do you wear such long skirts? I mean, seriously—below the knee? Is your father, like, super conservative?”

“I like them,” comes her simple answer. “Do I get to ask you a question now, too?”

Azula’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Depends on what it is.”

“Okay, why don’t you ever touch your lunches?” Mai asks uneasily. “I see how you basically let Ty Lee eat the whole thing.”

“I’m in an agreement to eat one bowl of rice a day,” Azula says after a pregnant pause. “That’s all I’m saying.”

“Agreement?”

“Yes, Mai.” Azula rolls her eyes. “And I said that’s all I’m saying. I swear, some days you’re either deaf or mute. Pick a struggle, will you?”

 _Strange_ , Mai muses, ignoring her sour comment. What kind of rich Daddy’s girl is made to swear to only eat one bowl of rice a day?

Then it hits her. It was _Azula’s_ terms—not something enforced on her.

“I can tell you’re lying, by the way,” Azula says, an eyebrow quirked challengingly. “You still owe me an answer.”

To Mai’s relief, their third member chooses that moment to reappear.

“I’m back,” Ty Lee announces brightly, taking a seat.

“Raincheck?” Mai asks with a terse smile directed at Azula.

Ty Lee looks between the two innocently. “Whatcha guys talking about?”

“Nothing,” Azula says with an air of nonchalance. “Just trying to find out what’s under Mai’s skirt.”

“Shut up, Azula.”

“How scandalous!”

Mai couldn’t help but be pleased when the next day, Azula shows up to lunch with her rice-only bento, keeping eye contact with her as she picked up her chopsticks.

It wasn’t long a before the month passes by, with Sports Day creeping up on her, but Mai was ready.

Dressed in a comfortable shirt and her most lightweight track pants, she feels optimistic; she had to admit she’s a little enlivened by the prospect of besting Zuko and finally getting him to leave her alone.

With him nowhere to be found at the start of the events, she easily wins the respective 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes, to the crowd and the commentator’s amazement. She forms a group with Ty Lee, Suki, and a few of the latter’s friends. They win the relay race; Suki’s team defending their champion title for three years in a row. Mai pays no mind to the prizes, motivated by the points she was accumulating.

But when Ty Lee notices her fading stamina, she firmly insisted on Mai taking a break during the Cavalry Battle, much to her displeasure—Zuko had chosen that time to show up with Sokka and win the event. He wins the 1500-meter run, too. Considering the substantial amount of points for both sports, he was no doubt catching up to her.

Then it was time for the final and biggest event of the festival: an obstacle course around the school. A sizeable crowd gathers, hers and Zuko’s names being thrown about as they speculated about the possibility of some kind of rivalry between the two. Still feeling worn out from the previous events, Mai dreads the likelihood of him winning their little secret match.

A bigger concern introduces itself to her, though, when the commentator announces that the winner of the obstacle course will be presented with “a special prize”, which was the right to receive a kiss from a poll-nominated girl—one whom the boys most desired to get kissed by. To no one’s surprise, it was Ty Lee.

“Mai!” she wails, clinging to the older girl’s waist. “This is too much!”

“Hold on,” Suki addresses the commentator. “She didn’t agree to this. This wasn’t brought up in any of the meetings! You need to retract—”

“Give it up, ladies!” a group of boys heckle the trio, making googly eyes and kissy faces at Ty Lee. “One of us is definitely getting that kiss!”

“Don’t worry, we won’t let that happen,” Suki reassures the girl with a smile. “Right, Mai?”

Mai nods firmly, holding Ty Lee by the shoulders at arm’s length. “If any guy tries to come at you… I’ll deal with him.”

A handful of the boys shrink back at the threat, withdrawing from the race.

“Azula, are you in?” Suki asks the younger girl standing by the commentator’s tent, sipping from a bottle of water. “With all of us competing, there’s less of a chance these pigs will get to torment Ty Lee.”

“Eh, why not,” Azula shrugs. “I can easily obliterate these idiots. You, too, for that matter.”

“Um…” Suki’s determined smile wavers. “Yeah, okay, that’s the spirit!”

Ty Lee is swept into a makeshift throne (a decorated arm chair from the teachers’ lounge) as everyone gets in position at the track field for the race.

The starting pistol is fired, and the three take the lead, coming up to the first obstacle: a vertical wall. Suki shares her trick for expertly climbing the slope, and upon successfully clearing the wall, they reach the tightrope course. Azula takes the first move, deftly swinging from the rope as if it were mere monkey bars at a kindergarten playground.

“Come on,” she urges the two as she reaches the halfway point. “It’ll hold.”

They follow, mimicking her technique, and the commentator notes the dwindling number of competitors. One of the desperate boys behind them from the earlier group latches onto Suki’s ankle, dragging her down with him as he fell.

“Out!”

He trembles at his feet, regretting his decision when Suki’s fiery gaze finds him.

“You filthy _cheat_!”

Azula and Mai drop down from the tightrope.

“You okay?” Mai asks, noticing the slightest sway in Azula’s steps as they dashed towards the final obstacle. 

“Worry about yourself,” she pants, managing a grin.

“It looks like everyone is reaching the pool trap! Anyone who falls into the water is out!” the commentator announces. When they reach the pool, Mai turns back to see Azula bent over, hands on her knees. One of the guys rushes her from behind, tackling her into the pool. “We just lost another contender! The race is getting tighter and tighter!”

“Mai!” Azula snaps breathlessly as soon as she resurfaces, swimming out to the edge of the pool to hoist herself out.

 _Right_. _This is easy_. Mai shakes her head to focus, quickly leaping onto the first board floating on the water, and the next, and the next—

Suddenly she’s jostled from the side, one of the competitors laughing gleefully as he skips ahead.

_No!_

As she braces herself for impact, a hand catches her by the waist and steadies her. She looks up in surprise. “Zuko?”

“Careful,” he calls smugly as he leaves her in his wake, “it’s slippery.”

Regaining her balance, she furiously barrels past the obstacle, determined to catch up on the boys’ trail.

“Almost to the finish line! Our competitors are clearing the tennis court, coming up to the final lap across the track field! It looks like it’s neck and neck between the guys, and—whoa! This is a surprise!”

Mai drowns out the commentator’s voice, focusing on using the tennis balls in her hands as projectiles. She targets the other challenger, effectively slowing him down and allowing Zuko to reluctantly gain an advantage. Running out of ammunition, she locks eyes with him. “Just go!”

Cheers erupt across the field as Zuko overtakes his competition with a sudden leap, breaking through the finish line.

Jogging past the distraught boy, she crosses the line second.

Mai’s shoulders sag in relief as she watches the group; Ty Lee happily drying a sniffling, towel-wrapped Azula’s hair while Suki holds a change of clothes for her.

“Mai!” Ty Lee cries out in joy when they spot her walking towards them. “You guys are my saviors!”

“Good job, us!” Suki cheers, pulling the girls into the group hug. “Mai, Azula, you were really impressive back there!”

Mai chuckles. “You too, but you already knew that.”

“Damn right!” Suki laughs. “But I never knew you were that fit!”

“Neither did I, to be honest.”

“We make a pretty good team, huh?” Zuko smirks, offering her his bottle of water. Mai obliges him, mumbling her thanks. He casts a teasing look at her. “Looks like I won, though.”

“Ugh, okay, I’m done with this. Let me go,” Azula groans, wriggling out of the circle and stalking off to change into dry clothes.

“Zuko! Congratulations!”

He’s awarded the slip of paper officially citing his “right” to a kiss from the nominated girl. Ty Lee watches him in nervous anticipation.

“Uh…” he scratches his head.

“What’s the matter?” the commentator asks.

Zuko turns his gaze to Mai. “Can I get a kiss from her instead?”

Her eyes widen in shock while her friends break into a fit of laughter, Suki from the hilarity of his request and Ty Lee from relief. “ _No_!”

“Then I have no use for it,” he says, handing it to her with a wink before leisurely walking away.

A photographer from the yearbook committee snaps a commemorative shot of Ty Lee with her arms wrapped around a flushed Mai, kissing her cheek, Suki caught mid-laugh beside them in the frame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can probably tell that i kinda struggled with this one ahh
> 
> BIG respect and admire to you guys who can write action-y scenes!!


	3. got your number (i don't know how long i can wait)

“You can still beat him, you know.” Suki takes another swig from her water bottle. “There’s another race.”

Mai glances at the council committee setting up rows of racks with white bags hanging from them, containing the costumes. “That’s just humiliating, though.”

“How bad could they be?” Suki says in regard to the costumes. Mai raises an eyebrow at her statement until Suki herself realizes. “Yeah, they’re all going to be terrible,” she sighs. “But if you want to get out of that date, it’s your only chance.”

So Mai signs herself up for the costume race, along with an amused Zuko.

“Seriously?” she grouses at him.

“I’m dead serious, Mai.” Zuko leans in, whispering into her ear, “I’m going to make you mine.”

She shoves him away, cheeks red with mortification. “What are you doing, you creep?”

He bursts out laughing.

“Hey, why don’t we make this bet more interesting? If I win the race, you give me your number—”

“As if.” Mai glares at him. “Don’t push it. I’m not even getting anything out of this.”

“Hey, I said I’ll leave you alone forever,” he says placatingly. “But alright. If that’s not enough, you win the race… and I’ll do all your after-school cleaning.”

“You are insufferable,” she states after a long pause.

“Is that a yes?” Zuko asks, but she had already turned her back and begun to walk away from him. “Mai! Is that a yes?”

They join the others competing at the track while the commentator explains the rules.

“The game is simple, everyone—make a quick dash to the racks, grab one of the bags and make your way into the tent to change into your chosen costume, then proceed to race to the finish line. Anyone who walks out without their costume on is disqualified. May the best man or woman win!”

Mai’s insides squirm at the thought of changing inside a tent that would be filled with other students, but regrettably, it was too late to change her mind. The commentator calls “ready, set, go!” before the pistol fires off, and the race begins and she has no choice but to push her sore legs to their limit.

She glances back briefly to see that she and Zuko are leading by a considerable distance. They reach the costume selections, and Zuko pulls off a random sack without a second thought before proceeding to jog towards the tent. She figures that the bigger the bag, the better. She grabs a bulky-looking sack and heads off shortly.

“Hey,” Zuko greets her as she drops the tent flap, plunging both of them into darkness.

She opens the bag and feels around to get an idea of what she might be getting into. A garment with way too many ruffles for her tastes makes itself known to her. “Shit.”

_Out of all the things I could have picked!_

“Something wrong?”

“There is no way I’m going out in a maid costume,” Mai bristles. She takes it out of the bag nonetheless.

He makes a noise of amusement. “Seems like it really is my lucky day.”

“Shut up, pervert.”

Other competitors rush into the tent, and she hastens to change into the outfit, fuming. She’d been right, this was bound to be a humiliating experience—the dress was shorter than she had expected, the hem falling above the middle of her thighs. While she hesitates, Zuko walks out, and a round of cheers and hollers reach her ears. _I can’t run like this_ , she thinks defeatedly. One gust of wind and it would be all over for her dignity. And the movement required to run would expose—

Mai changes back into her track clothes and exits the tent.

“Disqualified!”

She looks at the participants. Some of them wore skimpier, more embarrassing outfits—one of the boys only had on a pair of red swim trunks and a yellow wig. Zuko dons a pair of baggy khaki pants and a hard hat, completely shirtless. Sokka is whooping and laughing louder than anyone else, his phone high in the air while he takes a video. Beside him, Suki is looking at her in concern as she approached.

“Hey, what happened out there?”

“I got a maid’s uniform,” Mai winces.

“What?” Sokka hollers. “Oh, I would pay to see that!”

“Shut up,” Suki sharply elbows him on the side. She turns back to Mai with a sympathetic frown. “Sorry.”

“Ow! Suki!”

Another round of cheers erupt from the crowd, and the commentator shouts, “Zuko takes the win once again!”

When the day’s festivities come to an end, Mai heads towards the girls’ showers in the gym with her things in tow. Walking inside, she spots someone sitting on one of the benches, curled up with her head resting on her knees, arms wrapped around her legs.

“Azula?”

She doesn’t respond.

Mai places her things in the locker before carefully approaching her. “You’ve been missing for a while. You haven’t washed up yet?”

“I will in a bit.”

She frowns. “Are you okay?”

“Just got a little dizzy,” Azula says without lifting her head.

“Give me five minutes, I’ll take you to the nurse’s office.”

“Mm.”

Taking her toiletries, she picks an empty cubicle and turns on the water, quickly washing away the sweat and fatigue from her sore limbs. She wraps her towel around herself when she’s done and makes a beeline for the cubby. She finishes putting on a fresh pair of underwear when it occurs to her that Azula was still in her wet gym clothes.

“Can you stand?” she asks, walking over to the younger girl with her bath essentials in hand.

“I think so.”

“Okay, good.” Mai helps her to her feet. “Come on, you need to wash up.”

Slowly leading Azula to one of the lockers, Mai takes the damp towel from her. She hesitates, and Azula breathes out an uncharacteristically quiet laugh before she strips with Mai averting her eyes respectfully. She takes the toiletries from Mai’s hands before disappearing inside one of the showers. The water starts to run. Mai takes the time to hang the wet towel on one of the metal racks, place Azula's dirty garments in her laundry bag, and finish changing into her spare clothes.

“Doing alright?” she checks in after a few minutes. “Don’t fall and die.”

“Ha. Okay.”

She looks for Azula’s dry towel and waits for the water to turn off before coming to stand outside the stall. The door cracks open and Azula’s slender hand sticks out. Mai gives her the towel.

Azula emerges from the shower, hair still dripping. Mai retrieves her bath items and turns her back to Azula while she gets into her dry clothes, storing them in the cubby.

“You can look now,” Azula says.

Mai takes the towel and starts gently drying her hair. “Are you getting picked up today?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to go see the nurse?” she asks. “You pushed yourself pretty hard.”

Azula shakes her head. “I’m feeling fine now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

She walks Azula to the parking lot outside the school. Mai watches her get into her driver’s sedan and stands looking until the car is out of view. She turns back to head to the train station and is greeted by the sight of Zuko standing by his car a few yards away, watching her. A girl stands in front of him with her head down, staring at the ground, her hands clenched into fists at her side.

 _That prick_ , Mai fumes inwardly.

The prick in question waves at her, making his indifference towards the girl even clearer.

“Hey, there she is,” he calls loudly, grinning as she walks closer. The girl’s head snaps up and she looks at Mai’s direction, eyes wide, like a deer in the headlights. She hurriedly darts off.

“You could’ve handled that a lot better.”

“She’ll be fine.”

He gestures to the car and she frowns. “Can’t we just talk here?”

“Yeah, alright.” Zuko sits on the concrete curb by the front of his car, elbows on his knees. He looks up at her.

“Thanks, by the way. For helping out with the whole Ty thing.”

“You’re welcome.” He grins. “That was the most memorable obstacle course I’ve done. You were the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Shut up,” she huffs, arms crossed. “I helped you win.”

“You still could’ve won in the end. Was the costume really too much?” Zuko’s hand slips inside his pocket where a small rectangular outline protruded.

“You can’t smoke on school grounds,” she says crossly. “You get caught, I go down with you.”

“Ah, right. Miss Goody Two-Shoes has a reputation to uphold.”

“How original. You and your sister share insults?” Mai quips. At his amused look, she sighs. “Let’s just get this over with. Where do you want to go?”

“Hey, what’s the rush?” he says with a sleazy grin. “We never agreed on the date having an expiration period.”

“What?” she inhales sharply, glaring daggers at him, wondering what could possibly be going through his pesky brain.

Zuko simply shrugs. “What do you mean _what_? We didn’t.”

“Fine,” Mai relents irritatedly. She notes how he fidgets with his hands, seemingly itching for a cigarette. “Then when?”

“Ah, I need to get out of here,” he ignores her question, standing up with a groan of effort. He draws out his phone from his pocket, muttering, “I think there’s a park nearby…”

She hums noncommittally.

“You know… you don’t actually have to go on a date with me if you don’t want to,” he says, a pensive look on his face as he studies the screen. “Feels a little unfair, now that I think about it. I’m happy to work on convincing you—”

“I always honor my promises.” Mai abruptly takes the phone from his hand and searches for the contacts app, inputting her number and saving it without a name. She hands it back to him. “Now shut up.”

“Whoa,” he beams excitedly. “Sweet.”

Mai rolls her eyes. “I’m going home. Let me know when you think of something.”

“Hey, wait. Give me your phone.”

“Ugh,” she moans exasperatedly. “Fine.”

His hand lingers for a moment longer when he gives it back to her. She doesn’t return his smile, keeping her face blank before turning her back and walking away.

* * *

**9:43PM**

**Zuko**

hey beautiful

bring something nice to wear on friday :)

Don't call me that.

Where are we going?

it’s a surprise ;)

* * *

She learns of the rumors from Ty Lee the next day after school during their daily walk to the train station. That day, though, Ty Lee invited Suki to join them for a shopping trip.

“Everyone thinks you’re a couple!”

Mai frowns. If people were indeed thinking that, surely the fact that they’re going on a date will only make things worse. “That’s not a good thing, Ty.”

“People are saying they saw you two in the parking lot, and that you fought a girl,” she giggles. “It’s just exciting! Now you’re going on a _real_ date!”

“Okay, I definitely didn’t do that. And it’s not a _real date_ , it’s punishment for me losing the bet.” Mai looks at their auburn-haired friend for support. “Suki?”

“Mmm, I don’t know. It is kind of exciting.”

“What?” Mai raises a skeptical brow. “If I recall correctly, you were really against all this in the first place.”

“Yeah, but… Sokka told me something last night,” Suki admits with a secretive smile. “You gave him your number, huh?”

“What something?”

“I’ll let you find out for yourself! I’m sure Zuko will tell you sooner or later.” Suki changes the topic, avoiding Mai’s scrutinizing stare while they bear towards the appropriate platform. “Ty, where are you taking us again?”

“Harajuku,” Ty Lee says, merrily hopping across the gap as the three of them board the train. “It’s a great place for shopping. I’m a hundred percent sure I’ll find something cute for Mai’s date!”

Suki laughs. “ _You’ll_ find something cute?” 

“Well, yeah. You think _you_ can find something cuter?” Ty Lee playfully challenges.

“You bet your ass I do,” Suki replies confidently.

“Okay, I bet you ¥1500 I can find the better outfit.”

“Oh, you’re on.”

Mai sighs at her friends’ antics. “You both know ‘better’ is a subjective term in this situation, right?” 


	4. two headlights shine (and i will get you, get you alone)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here’s what mai’s dress looks like: 
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BU6-JYdg_aS/?igshid=1ho0di7lh2si3

Mai sleeps through her alarm, only being woken up by her mother yelling and knocking at her bedroom door insistently. She wouldn’t say that she was ever truly in a _good_ mood, but that occurrence certainly soured her disposition for the day. She goes through the motions of getting ready, putting on her uniform, and deciding to leave her hair undone in favor of eating a quick breakfast.

“Mom?”

She lies through her teeth about her friends inviting her to dinner in the city after cram school. There’s no cram school today, and there was no dinner invitation—not from her friends, at least.

Her mother sighs. “Fine. Don’t make a habit of it. And be home by 10:30.”

“Okay. Thanks, mom.”

After cleaning her plate, she heads off to the entrance and laces on her pair of black combat boots. Calling goodbye to her mother, she rushes out of the house with the paper bag containing her dress in tow. When she reaches the end of the driveway, she turns to walk down the street when she’s greeted by the sight of Zuko in his ever-conspicuous red sports car, his arm hanging out of the window with an almost-finished cigarette between his fingers. His school shirt is unbuttoned, a black t-shirt and a gold chain peeking through.

“Hey, I like your hair.”

Her traitorous brain flashes memories of him from the sports festival— _leaning in close, his breath tickling her ear, the rasp in his voice when he had whispered “I’m going to make you mine,” and then his hand on her waistline—_

Mai scowls. “Are you stalking me now?”

“I noticed you weren’t with Suki when she came in.” He smiles. “Can’t let you go and stand me up today.”

“So you thought you’d show up at my house,” she states more than she asks. “How did you know where I live?”

“Your friends,” he says simply as a way of explanation. “Come on. You can’t catch the train, you’ll miss first period.”

She looks behind to see if her mother was somehow outside watching them before she begrudgingly gets into the car. “Just hurry up before my mom sees me.”

Zuko takes one last drag, putting out the cigarette in his ashtray before starting the engine.

She wrinkles her nose. “How can you stand smelling like smoke all the time?”

“You get used to it,” he says, but he blows the smoke out of the window and puts them up, and turns on the air conditioning for her anyway. The air quickly becomes light with the comforting scent of sandalwood. Mai lets herself unwind.

At school, Zuko pulls out his cologne and generously spritzes it on his shirt. “Hm. What do you think?”

“Smells… nice, I guess.”

“Good enough for me.”

Before they reach the classroom, she stops them in the empty hallway. “Fix your uniform.”

“Huh?”

Mai rolls her eyes. “You can’t be ten minutes late _and_ walk in looking like that.”

Zuko does as he’s told, looking at her as he drops his chain inside his tee and finishes buttoning up his school shirt as if to say, _happy now?_

Several pairs of eyes fall on them when he slides the classroom door open. Zuko simply grins sheepishly at the teacher, who shakes his head before going back to scribbling on the board. Mai feels her face turn red when she catches Suki’s sly smile, hurriedly taking her seat.

Like the previous day, Azula is missing at lunch.

Sokka takes her place, apparently having decided that he wanted to sit with “the gloomy girl”, a phrase that made embarrassment flash across Zuko’s face. He talks too loud and is too _touchy-feely_ (he had been nudging her with his elbow every time he cracked a joke, in an attempt to get a reaction out of her) but Mai had to admit, she did find him pretty funny.

“So she hasn’t been going to class?” Suki asks. “Is she sick?”

Ty Lee hums an _I don’t know_. “I texted her, but she didn’t reply. Maybe she caught a cold from participating in the pool event at the festival.”

“We could visit her after school,” Suki suggests. “Let’s get her a care package. Do you know where she lives?”

“I don’t.” Ty Lee frowns. “Zuko?”

“The girl is the daughter of a multi-millionaire,” Sokka interjects through a mouthful of meatball stolen from his girlfriend’s lunchbox. “What can you give her that she doesn’t have?”

Suki gives him a disapproving look. “It’s not about the material stuff. And here, just take the whole thing—you took all the good bits already. Seriously…” She hands her bento to him before turning to Zuko. “What’s the address?”

He hesitantly gives it to her. “I don’t know, though, I don’t think they like guests showing up unannounced over there…”

Ty Lee frowns. “It’s okay, we’re just dropping by to give it to her.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Ooh, we could get her some hot chocolate mix,” she says.

Suki nods. “That sounds good. We can stop by the grocery—”

“I’m telling you, ladies,” Sokka chimes in. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“No one is asking you to come, Sokka,” Suki says exasperatedly. “And if you interrupt me again, I _will_ cut the nipple parts out of all your shirts. You want to walk around with two holes on all your shirts?” she adds threateningly, eliciting a giggle from Ty Lee and a smile from Mai. Zuko nearly chokes on his drink.

“It was an accident!” Sokka cries defensively. “Man,” he sighs miserably, before turning his attention to Mai and Zuko, wiggling his brows suggestively. “So… you two had some recent _developments_ , huh? Why were you late?”

Suki slaps a hand over her forehead. “Please just use your mouth strictly for eating.”

After school Mai changes into her dress, a short, black velvet cheongsam with no embellishments, save for the three characteristic ribbons by the right shoulder and a vertical slit on the skirt, showing off a sliver of skin on the middle of her thigh.

Looking self-consciously at the mirror, she briefly considers getting back into her school uniform. She isn’t even sure if Zuko is dressing up himself.

She has a fleeting thought questioning why she had decided to buy a new dress, and a short one at that; it’s not a special occasion, after all, is it?

The door opens, and Suki pokes her head in, pulling Mai out of her thoughts. “Hey—oh, wow!”

“Too much?” Mai asks.

“No, definitely not! You look smokin’, girl.”

She laughs. “Please. That’s not what I was going for.”

“Happy accident, then,” Suki says. “You ready? I think they’re in the car. Ty Lee is excited to go to the grocery store.”

Mai wraps her oversized grey cardigan around herself before she and Suki make their way out of the gym to the parking lot, heading out to meet with the group. Zuko leans against his car, his phone in hand. He had taken off his school shirt and left the black school slacks on, the black t-shirt from earlier tucked in and the gold chain hanging out once again. It was simple, but he looks surprisingly _good_. Mai scolds herself inwardly for having the thought.

“Hey,” he says. She rolls her eyes, noticing him blatantly giving her a once-over.

The doors are open and Ty Lee is seated in the back, Sokka in the front passenger side.

Zuko steps in and tells him to move, to which he says, “What happened to putting your bros first?”

“Sokka, get out of there,” Suki sighs. “You sit in the middle.”

“Why are you bullying me?” he whines, but complies nevertheless, climbing out and gesturing at Mai with both arms, giving away the seat.

“Thanks.”

The three are dropped off at the nearby mall before Zuko initiates conversation.

“You have anything in mind for dinner?” he asks.

“Not really,” she says. “It’s up to you.”

“Yeah, but I wanna know what you like.”

“I’m not picky,” she answers quickly, mumbling, “Thanks for asking, though.”

He beams. “Wanna go to Chiba?”

“Really?” Mai frowns thoughtfully. “It’s a bit of a drive.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Zuko smiles reassuringly. “It’s pretty there at night. I think it’s worth showing you.”

“Okay.”

Mai realises that he wasn’t such bad company. At sunset, he took her to a restaurant by the portside. “You know, my uncle told me _unagi_ is an aphrodisiac for men,” he had said flippantly as they looked at the menu, and laughed when Mai made a disgusted face at him. He continued to crack lame jokes throughout dinner, and she had found herself unable to keep from smiling a few times.

“Wanna go to Disney Resort?” he had asked, to which she thoughtlessly said, “Maybe another time.” His jaw fell slack in surprise before his face lit up in wonder. She had to look away.

Presently, they walk together to the Kimisarazu Tower. Standing in front of it, Mai frowns at the prospect of climbing the flights of stairs.

“Are you a masochist?”

Zuko chuckles. “Come on, the view is great. Don’t girls like pretty lights?”

“I can see the lights fine from here.”

“Okay,” he relents. “See the people at the top?”

Mai looks up, following the line where his finger points towards: two statues arranged at the top, lit up, a man and woman facing each other but separated by the pillars on which they stood.

“You know who they are?” he asks.

“No, actually.”

“They’re lovers,” he tells her. “That’s Yamato Takeru. He was originally Prince Ousu, the son of Emperor Keiko, but an enemy he defeated gave him that title. That woman was his wife, Oto Tachibana-hime. She accompanied him on an expedition, when the prince angered a guardian of the sea. The sea became rough, so their expedition couldn’t go any further. She prayed to the guardian, and sacrificed herself to the water so that the waves would settle and he could make it out safely.”

“That’s… morbid,” she says.

He nods. “It is.”

“Interesting story, though.”

“Yeah. You don’t wanna go up?” he offers again, and she shakes her head. “Come on, then, I know another place we can go.”

“Welcome to the Fuurin Love Hotel.”

Zuko beams proudly at her as they stand in front of the dilapidated building their flashlights were illuminating.

“This is what you wanted to show me?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay, I guess it’s cool,” Mai sighs. “Let’s go back.”

“What? No. Come on! I’ll show you the inside,” he says enthusiastically. “I found this while exploring with friends.”

“Are you serious?” Mai frowns. “Doesn’t look like anyone should be going in there. Besides, it’s too dark.”

“Are you scared?” he teases.

“No,” she huffs, although she did find the atmosphere a little creepy. “I’m just saying it could be dangero—”

“Then come on!” Zuko calls over his shoulder before disappearing into the remains of the building.

Mai looks around. She’s completely alone in the desolate dark. With a sigh, she follows him inside.

“Exciting, huh?” his voice echoes along the concrete walls.

“I guess,” she replies candidly. He slows down, letting her catch up with his pace and fall into step with him.

“They say a lot of secret lovers would come here for their illicit affairs,” he says as he leads her inside a medieval-themed room. “Until 20 years ago. It’s been abandoned since then.”

“It’s still pretty well-preserved,” she remarks, noting the thick layer of undisturbed dust on every surface, including the carriage bed.

“Well, yeah,” Zuko shrugs. “I guess people are too scared to mess around. They do say it’s a haunted building.” Mai whirls around, frowning, and he shines his flashlight on her and laughs. “Sorry. Is it getting too scary?”

She eyes the knight statue. “What’s scary is how tacky the décor is.”

“Careful, Mai, you don’t wanna anger any spirits.”

“Oh, shut up.”

A small noise echoes outside at a vague distance. She hopes he didn’t notice her freeze up.

“I hope this place isn’t falling apart on us.”

“It’s not. It’ll be fine.” Zuko nudges her shoulder. “Shall we?”

He leads her to a traditional ryokan room next.

“Well, honey, here we are,” he says playfully in a parody of a middle aged man’s voice.

“Cozy,” she says, walking towards the private onsen densely populated with dead leaves. She decides to play along, craning her neck to look back at him as she lets her cardigan loosely fall off her shoulders. “Are you coming, darling?”

She thinks she played along too well—he’s staring at her, his expression unreadable, eyes widened slightly.

Mai quickly shrugs the cardigan back on properly, looking behind her. _Nothing, thankfully_. She turns back to him. “What is it?”

He shakes his head, laughing softly. “Nothing. You looked really good.”

She fails to respond, her brain drawing a blank.

“Can I tell you something?” Zuko asks after a long stretch of silence.

“Yeah.”

“The truth is, I’ve always admired you from afar. Ever since the day I saw you. I was sixteen,” he says, eyes locking with hers. “I mean, you’re _beautiful_. I think I fell in love then. But I knew you never would have given me the time of day. Still, I was in love with the idea of you. I would spend some nights thinking about what it would be like—the two of us together. I realized there had to be more to it. That you’re not just a girl I saw at school, that there’s more to you than what I could see. So I just had to get to know you.

“Getting to talk to you, even if it’s not much… it just made my feelings grow stronger,” he goes on. “I’ve liked you for a long time, Mai. And now it’s our last year, and I thought: it’s now or never. I just really felt like I had to do something about it… like I can’t let you pass me by. I want to get _closer_.”

“Zuko…” she breathes, stunned.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “It’s a lot, I know.”

Mai steps towards him, closing the distance between them and taking his hand. She gives it a small squeeze. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

As they walk to the car, she keeps his hand in hers, trying not to let her thoughts overwhelm her. He breaks the silence with an apology.

“Sorry for dropping that bomb on you. If it even made any sense.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, I…” Zuko groans. “I talked too much. I feel like I barely got to know you. So that kind of defeats the purpose of this whole date thing.”

“Well, now you know I don’t like abandoned motels,” Mai offers with a half-smile that he can’t see in the dark. _And hey, I got to know you._

He sighs. “Sorry. I thought it would be fun.”

“No, it was,” she says, giving his hand another reassuring squeeze.

“I’ll take you somewhere nicer next time,” he promises as they come across the car again. She lets go of his hand as they put their lights out. He opens the door for her before getting into the driver’s seat.

“Oh, it’s getting late,” Zuko remarks as he starts the car, prompting Mai to look at the clock. It reads 10:43. “I better take you home.”

_Shit._

Despite her slight panic, Mai couldn’t help falling asleep on the ride home. Thankfully she comes to before he had to wake her, just as he pulled up along her street. She quickly gets herself together and he stops the car, killing the engine.

“Um… sorry for passing out on you,” Mai says, voice slightly scratchy with sleep. “Thanks for taking me home. And for tonight. I had fun.”

“Oh. Uh, of course.” Zuko smiles. His cheeks are noticeably red in the dim light. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Yeah.”

“You look really pretty, by the way,” he rambles. “Sorry I didn’t say it earlier.”

“You too,” Mai replies, before her sleep-addled brain registers what she had said. She scowls at his amused laugh, her cheeks burning, and pushes the door open. “Whatever. I’m going.”

“Good night,” he calls after her as she steps onto the curb.

“Night,” she calls back softly. “Let me know when you get home safe.”

He gives her a dorky thumbs-up. The warmth it gives her is short-lived, however, as she walks up to her house, passing her father’s sedan in the driveway. Dread fills her gut as she stands in front of the door. With a steadying breath, she takes her keys out.

She doesn’t hear Zuko’s car start until the door opens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's 3am and i didn't proofread :( sorry if there are any errors!!


	5. i'm in the pursuit of self-inflicted misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: self-harm

Before Mai could use her key, her mother had opened the door. There was no time to hide, no chance of sneaking past and rushing straight to the safety of her bedroom. Instead of the wooden door, she feels like she’s facing an execution by guillotine.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Michi stands in her deep green sleeping robe with her hand propped against the doorframe, watching as the car whips out of sight. Knowing better, Mai stays silent. Her mother withdraws her hand from the frame, eyeing her daughter disapprovingly as she lets her pass.

Mai shuffles by, and the blade falls.

Her mother closes the door and rounds on her, eyes sharp like daggers of anger. She had no doubt noticed the residual smell of cigarettes that clung to Mai’s clothes for every minute she had been in that car.

“Were you _smoking_?” her mother asks, voice taking on a shrill edge even as she attempts to speak in a hushed tone. “Damn it, Mai, it smells repulsive! What is wrong with you? Why would you do that?”

“I wasn’t,” Mai says flatly, already feeling the weariness settling into her bones from the most likely one-sided conversation that lies ahead.

Her mother scoffs in obvious mistrust, sizing up her attire with contempt. “And what the hell are you wearing? Have you no dignity?”

Mai keeps her mouth shut. She doesn’t see a point in justifying herself—what’s the use when her mother won’t believe her?

“Are you—oh, _god_ ,” Michi continues hysterically, likely assuming the worst. “I know that was not your friend’s father’s car. Who were you with? Are you whoring yourself out?”

“I’m not,” Mai says, more out of necessity and for the sake of moving the reproach along, knowing anything she says is falling on deaf ears despite her hoping otherwise.

“Well how else would you explain this, then? Smoking, running around who-knows-where with a man and coming home at this hour, dressed like a streetwalker?” Michi exhales sharply, incensed. “What in god’s name is wrong with you? Your actions are bringing shame to the family! I thought I raised you to know better. How could you be so selfish as to drag our name through the mud? We have your father’s career to think about!”

“It’s just a boy from school,” Mai sighs jadedly. “Mom, I’m sorry, I—”

“He’s clearly old enough to be driving,” her mother returns sharply. “I don’t want to hear another lie coming out of your mouth. Who the hell is it, Mai?”

Mai stares back at her mother evenly.

There’s a familiar tingling in her wrists, the flesh of her thighs begging for the sting of sharp steel.

“Get those clothes off,” her mother finally says, muted and calm yet venomous. “If you do anything like this again, you will be disciplined. Count yourself lucky that I won’t be bringing this up with your father. He has enough on his plate. But Mai, I want you to know that I’m severely disappointed in you.”

In the seclusion of her bathroom, the blade glints between her fingers as she drags it through her skin, beads of scarlet blood sprouting from the lines it leaves behind, and she’s bleeding and bleeding and bleeding, letting it pour out of her, watching it swirling down the drain in a horrible red whirlpool—for a brief moment, she feels _release_.

Mai spends the weekend burying herself in her studies. Her mother doesn’t speak to her, rebuffing her attempts to help with the chores. Her father is none the wiser and her three year-old brother accounts for most of the noise and activity in the household. As she does every Sunday, she wakes up to her clean laundry neatly folded on the edge of her bed for her to put away.

(She doesn’t see the dress again.)

With a few minutes to spare before the school bell rings, Azula walks through the doors to the locker room, a rush of the brisk late October morning air right behind her.

“Azula!” Ty Lee beams at the sight, enveloping the former in a hug as soon as she was within reach. “You’re back! I missed you.”

“Girls,” Azula greets the trio flatly when she was free of the hug, a hint of pink in her sunken cheeks. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Mai says, slightly surprised.

“Morning, Azula,” Suki smiles politely. “Are you feeling better?”

“Did you end up getting our package?” Ty Lee adds with a worried frown. “The lady who answered the door told us she would pass it to you.”

“Yes, yes,” Azula says with her usual air of haughtiness, before her eyes lose their hard edge and her tone softens ever so slightly. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Suki’s smile turns into one of sincerity.

In contrast to the previous week, Azula is her only company at lunch. With Ty Lee and Suki’s competitive streak growing, the two had decided to (figuratively) duke it out on the volleyball court for another ¥1500, taking Zuko and Sokka as their respective teammates.

“Would you say that we’re friends?”

Mai looks up from her textbook.

Azula is staring at her expectantly. _She’s getting worse_ , a small voice in Mai’s head says as she studies Azula’s dull hair, the dark rings peeking through the makeup under her sunken eyes, and her hollowed-out cheeks.

“I guess. Why?”

Azula shrugs. “Just wondering why you helped me the other day.”

Mai turns her gaze back to her book and flips the page. “Any decent human would do that, Azula.”

“You’d be surprised how many people wouldn’t,” comes Azula’s blunt reply.

“Maybe something to do with your reputation?” she offers flippantly. “I certainly wouldn’t say you’re the approachable type.”

Azula merely smiles. “Ever the honest one. That’s why I like you, Mai.”

“Mai!” Ty Lee calls happily. “We were waiting for you!”

To her surprise, she doesn’t see Ty Lee alone at the cubby room after school, and instead sees her hanging around with Suki, Sokka, and Zuko, who is leaned against her locker. The latter smiles upon noticing her.

“Hey,” he says. Sokka chokes on a stifled laugh while Zuko shoots him an irritated look.

Suki is grimacing apologetically. “Hi, Mai.”

Mai nods at them in acknowledgement, bemused. “Can I get access to my locker, or…”

“Sorry,” Zuko says sheepishly, moving aside.

She comes to stand next to him as she retrieves her shoes to change into. “So, why are you all gathered here today?”

“Zuko mentioned an arcade earlier, and Suki and I thought we should go,” Ty Lee says radiantly. “It’s the perfect tiebreaker!”

“That’s nice. But the next time you two make plans without me, just remember I brought you two together,” she remarks, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.

“Please.” Suki chuckles. “We were just about to ask you.”

“Sounds exciting, but I have to head home.” Mai frowns apologetically.

“Come on,” Zuko says with an inviting grin. “It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, come on, Gloomy Girl,” Sokka chimes in. “We were really hoping you’d come.”

She rolls her eyes at the nickname. “I really can’t. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mai,” Ty Lee says consolingly. “There’s always next time!”

“Alright then, let’s go.” Zuko pats down his pocket and fishes out his car keys. He flashes Mai another winning smile. “I can drop you off first, if these guys don’t mind.”

“Not at all!” Suki grins. Ty Lee nods enthusiastically in agreement.

Sokka crosses his arms. “Only if I get the front seat.”

“It’s fine,” Mai says. “You guys go ahead.”

Zuko frowns. “You sure?” 

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later. Uh, not _later_ later—I mean, um, tomorrow.” Zuko smacks a palm over his face. “I’m just gonna…”

She nods, biting back a smile. “See you.”

Mai comes to a halt on the sidewalk. A few yards away, a familiar figure leans against the concrete utility pole by the front of her house, mouth curving into a smirk as she treads closer.

“You and your brother have quite a bit in common,” Mai observes as Azula uncrosses her arms and pushes herself upright to meet her.

Her controlled expression falters for a split-second. “What?”

“Never mind,” Mai says. “What are you doing?”

Azula’s smile grows wider. “Can’t I pay a friend a visit?”

“How’d you even get here?”

“I caught the bus. Duh,” she says, deliberately playing ignorant. “Why don’t _you_ take the bus? Seems like it’s much faster than the train.” At Mai’s wary stare and the lack of response, she rolls her eyes. “Fine. I asked someone.”

Mai sighs. She might need to have a conversation with Ty Lee about her reckless habit of giving out her address.

“Well?” Azula prompts. “Are we going to stand out here all evening?”

“I’m home,” Mai calls from the entrance as she toes a pair of guest slippers over to Azula, who slips them on just as her mother shows up at the hall with her little brother in tow. He stares at Azula inquisitively.

“Welcome back,” she says, before her eyes land on their guest.

“Mom,” Mai utters passively. “This is Azula. She’s a friend from school.”

“I see,” Michi says, her expression shifting slightly in recognition. She smiles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Azula.”

Azula bows politely. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

“Oh, nonsense, come on in! Please excuse the mess,” Michi says apologetically as she waves them in. Mai inwardly rolls her eyes at her mother’s instantaneous switch flip as she titters excessively at Azula’s dispassionate comment about the house looking lovely.

Azula presents her with a courteous smile. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“Of course! What a gracious young lady,” comes her flattering remark. “Make yourself at home. Would you like some tea?”

“That’s okay, Mom,” Mai cuts in. “We’ll be upstairs.”

“Oh, alright.” She turns to Azula. “Will you be staying for dinner?”

“If you don’t mind.” 

Mai blinks, keeping a passive expression despite her surprise.

“No, not at all!” her mother says, enthused.

“Thank you,” Azula returns. 

“It’s not a problem, dear,” Michi says benignly before she shoots a pithy look at her daughter, passing Tom-Tom over. He clings to his sister willingly as their mother disappears into the dining room to head to the kitchen.

“Come on.”

Mai keeps a straight face during their annoyingly slow ascent up the stairs as her guest lets her eyes sweep over every single family picture framed and hung along the wall of the staircase, her little brother weighing heavily on her arms. She puts him down when they reach the hall, letting him totter along beside her legs. 

“Here,” she mutters as she comes to a stop outside her room, stepping aside to let Azula in the door. Tom-Tom waddles in before tripping over his feet and falling flat onto his belly. Behind him, Azula slaps a hand over her mouth to stop a surprised outburst of laughter.

“Oops,” Mai says placidly as she shuts the door behind her, a less exaggerated response than he would have received from their mother. She drops her school bag beside the door. “You okay, kid?”

Unfazed, Tom-Tom makes an answering noise that Mai decides to take as a toddler version of yes.

“You can sit,” she says to the younger girl, who sets her bag down on the floor and sits on the bed primly.

“Your mom seems nice,” Azula remarks sardonically, and to her credit, it makes Mai smile.

“Yeah, sorry. She can get a bit too much.”

Azula observes as Tom-Tom pushes himself up with all four limbs and successfully lifts his torso, then drops onto his bottom to a sitting position on the hardwood floor. “He’s… younger than I expected. How old is he?”

Mai gently nudges her brother encouragingly with a nod to Azula’s direction. His eyes follow her mark, looking up at her and holding up three chubby fingers.

“Three!”

“That’s right. Good job.”

Azula’s brow twitches as she turns her gaze back to Mai. “You were an only child until you were thirteen?”

“Yeah.”

“Must’ve been nice.”

“It was fine,” Mai says frankly, watching the toddler drag himself by his butt across the floor to explore beneath her study desk, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “But I like my brother.”

“Ha. What’s that like?”

Mai shrugs. “Why do you dislike _your_ brother?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Azula flips her hair over her shoulder. “He’s absolutely unbearable.”

“Good old sibling rivalry, huh?” Mai raises a questioning brow, and her red lips curl cynically.

They’re interrupted by a series of soft raps on the other side of the door before Michi pushes it open. “Sorry to disturb you two. I’ll take Tom-Tom off your hands.”

“Come on, you. What are you doing under there?” she heaves a grinning Tom-Tom up into her arms. “Oh—dinner will be ready soon, girls. Mai, change out of that uniform, will you?” she calls over her shoulder as she leaves the room, closing the door in her wake.

Mai looks pointedly at Azula, who simply turns away and brings her hand up below her chin to preen her nails. With a sigh, she gathers up a change of clothes from the wardrobe, craning her neck to make sure Azula wasn’t peeking behind her back before she quickly changes into them with practiced ease from the school’s shower rooms. Afterwards, Mai gestures at the study table with her free hand.

“You can do your homework here. I have to bring these down to my mom.”

“Okay.”

Mai finds her mother bustling about in the laundry room downstairs. She steels herself for the oncoming tirade.

Michi turns to face her with a hand on her hip. “What were you thinking bringing a minister’s daughter to the house with no warning? You can be so selfish sometimes. You can’t just do whatever you please, do you realise you could drag your father’s reputation through the mud? Are you trying to land us in her family’s bad graces? We have your father’s political career to think about, Mai, do you need to be told a million times?”

“I’m sorry,” Mai says, mechanical and empty.

Her mother sighs, snatching the uniform out of her hands. “I’m getting sick of hearing that from you. Go on.”

Returning to her room, she comes upon Azula poring over her homework on the desk. She finds herself suddenly irked. “What are you doing?”

“Hm?” Azula hums, keeping her eyes on her notebook. “Homework. You told me I could.”

“I mean why are you here, Azula?” Mai asks wearily, staring at the back of the younger girl’s head as a beat of silence passes. “Are you getting picked up after dinner?”

“No.”

“Why not?” she demands impatiently. “Can’t your brother drive you home?”

“I don’t see my brother anywhere,” Azula says. “Do you?”

“I have his number. I can text him for you.”

“Don’t be obtuse, Mai.” Azula finally looks up from her work, turning to face her. “I don’t _want_ to go home.”

She gazes back blankly as Mai regards her with a searching stare. A long moment goes by before Mai finally gives in with a heavy sigh. “Fine. I’ll ask.”

After an introduction filled with niceties between Azula and her father, everyone gathers for dinner, her father at the head of the table as was usual, her mother on his right and her brother on his left.

“Thank you for the food.”

Mai hides a smile as beside her, Tom-Tom babbles the phrase with the rest of the table, hands clasped together in the customary gesture. Her father laughs fondly. Seated next to her mother, Azula’s lips turn up stiffly.

“What a good boy,” Michi says dotingly before immediately launching into conversation with Azula. “How are your studies going so far? Are you a third year as well?”

“Ah, no, I’m in second year.”

“Oh, that’s right! Well, how do you know our Mai?” Ukano asks conversationally.

“Forgive us,” Michi adds with a meek smile. “She has completely failed to tell us all about it.”

 _For a reason_ , Mai thinks bitterly.

Azula picks up the genteel act once again, engaging with her parents like a well-bred lady should as her mother steers the conversation towards government affairs, talking up her father and his work. Their eyes meet across the table for a split second and Mai quickly looks away, busying herself with aiding Tom-Tom with picking up his small training chopsticks and getting his fingers through the loops. _If she insists on staying, she can deal with the consequences_ , she thinks, helping her little brother serve himself.

Tom-Tom burbles his thanks along with her name before he takes his first bite, wiggling happily in his seat, and Mai’s heart squeezes with affection.

She tries to tune out the mind-numbing discussion about politics for the rest of the meal, focusing her attention on her brother and only speaking whenever spoken to. During a lull in the conversation as dessert is served, she takes the opportunity to ask. “Mom, Dad, is it alright if Azula stays the night?”

Michi hesitates, briefly glancing at her husband. “That’s fine, but… it’s a school night, isn’t it?”

“Oh, let them have fun. They’re responsible young ladies,” he says. He turns his gaze to their esteemed guest, smiling. “You’re more than welcome to stay.”

“If you have your father’s permission, of course,” Michi tacks on.

“Of course. He’s looking forward to hearing all about it,” Azula affirms. “Thank you, Mr and Mrs Aiuchi.”

Looking at Azula’s well-practiced smile, Mai almost couldn’t tell that she was lying through her teeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no proofreading again ahhh sorry if this is bad and the pacing is all weird


	6. explosion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentions of an eating disorder & self-harm

“I get why you take the long way home.”

Mai looks up from her English textbook, stone-faced. Was she to pretend that she didn’t hear Azula vomit her guts out in her bathroom just moments ago?

Now wearing a spare sleeping dress that she had grown out of, Azula joins her on her bed. She sighs, stretching her thin legs out before her, all pale bruised skin and knobby knees. “I think I prefer having an absentee mother over an overbearing one like yours.”

“You have toothpaste on your face,” Mai says after a pregnant pause. Azula’s hand comes up, feeling around blindly. Putting her book aside, she reaches out to wipe it off the younger girl’s chin with her thumb.

“Thanks. Oh—” Azula springs out of the bed, grabbing some sheet masks from atop her dresser. “Your mom brought these earlier. Do you mind?”

She shrugs.

“Perfect,” Azula smiles. Mai thinks it loses some of its unsettling effect without the red lipstick. “We can be just like normal teenage girls.”

Settling cross-legged across each other, Mai sits still as Azula tears open the plastic packet, pulling out the moist cotton inside. She closes her eyes, letting the younger girl lean in to position the sheet on her face.

“Why did you come here?” she chances the question once again.

“God,” Azula groans irately. “Fine, if you hate me so much, I’ll go.”

“I was just asking,” Mai snaps. “You don’t need to blow up at me every time you want to avoid the question.”

“Fine, I just wanted some company.”

“And I was your only option?”

“Yeah, I think you’re the only one I have right now,” Azula says, uncharacteristically soft, after a pause so long that Mai had opened her eyes.

“What about Ty Lee?”

“That’s different.” Azula’s mouth sets in a straight line. “She doesn’t deserve this.”

 _Deserve what?_ Mai ponders. Letting her eyes close again, she quips in her deadpan tone, “And I do?”

Azula allows a small huff of amusement escape her lips.

“You look like your mom,” she observes thoughtfully, smoothing the edges of the mask along Mai’s jawline with her fingertips. “Same bone structure.”

“I get that a lot.”

“Me too. With my own mother, I mean. I don’t really see it,” she says nonchalantly, rubbing her hands together as she withdraws and straightens her back.

Mai’s eyes flutter open. “Do you have a picture?”

“No.” Azula picks up the other mask. “Here, do mine.”

“Seriously?” Mai asks, accepting the packet.

Azula gives her a wooden look. “It doesn’t exactly bring me great joy looking at the woman who gave me emotional trauma.”

“Oh.”

“You could ask Zuzu,” she yields peevishly. “He probably does.”

Mai rips open the plastic, gingerly pulling out the mask inside. “Do they live together?”

“To my knowledge, no. He lives with our kooky uncle.” Azula’s eyes fall shut as Mai places the cold cotton sheet on her skin and begins to even it out. “But they were close. He was always her favorite.”

“So why don’t they?”

“I don’t know,” Azula shrugs one bony shoulder. “He probably still doesn’t know where she is.”

Mai’s eyebrows knit in confusion.

“Done?” Azula prompts before she could ask any more questions, eyes open.

“Uh-huh.”

“Great.” She picks up her phone. “Well, we have fifteen minutes to wait.”

Mai retracts to her original position, rubbing the remaining serum on her hands into her skin. After an internal debate, she decides to bring up her earlier concern. “I heard you.”

“What?”

“In the bathroom after dinner.” Mai gestures to the en suite with a tilt of her head. “Why do you do that?”

“Why do you cut yourself?” Azula returns darkly after a moment of consideration. She smiles at Mai’s narrow-eyed glare, lowering her voice as she leans in conspiratorially. “Yeah, I saw your disgusting little blade collection. Where do you do it? Your stomach?” Her hand is hot to the touch when it settles on Mai’s knee, creeping up slowly. “Your thighs?”

“What the fuck are you doing?” Mai jerks her leg sharply, sending Azula’s hand falling away. “You’re sick, Azula.”

“So are you,” Azula says matter-of-factly as she draws back to a comfortable distance. “My mother makes me miserable too. We’re all just doing whatever we need to do to cope.”

“What do you mean?” Mai asks cautiously.

“Nothing,” Azula huffs. “Forget it, I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?” Mai retorts. “I thought I was your friend.”

Azula’s haughty posture falls, the hard countenance of her face softening. “It started way before this, but she got into an accident when I was eight.”

“Shit,” Mai says, feeling bad, and in part regretting she had asked. She wants to say they don’t have to talk about it but Azula speaks before she could.

“Yeah. The head trauma caused temporary memory loss, so during that time she completely forgot about us.” Azula pulls her knees to her chest. “One day she went missing. She left everything and just… vanished. Father hired some private investigators and they eventually found her, but he said she didn’t want to go back. She’d started a new life away from us. The bitch went and got herself a new man.”

“That must have been hard for you and your dad,” Mai says sympathetically. _And Zuko_.

“Me? Please,” Azula scoffs, waving a hand dismissively. “And don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a piece of shit. I might hate her, but she had the spine to leave him, so I’ll give credit where credit is due.”

“I see.”

“She never loved him, anyway,” she continues as if Mai hadn’t spoken. “Their marriage was all for political power and status. God, I don’t even know if she loved anyone but herself and Zuko. But I guess Father did love her… at one point. In any case, he started to put his hands on her. So when she got the chance, she took it and ran.”

Azula has a skewed perception of love if she was convinced that her father truly loved her mother, Mai thinks, but she chooses not to voice the thought and stay silent, hanging on to her every word.

“After she said she wasn’t coming back, he was a wreck. He was so _angry_. He took that out on her precious son. I was eleven when I watched him burn Zuko one day. That’s why he has that ugly scar on his face.” Azula pauses when she catches Mai’s horror-struck expression. “He hasn’t told you?”

“What did he do?” Mai asks, trying to think of anything Zuko could have done to deserve such a terrible deed and coming up blank.

“Spoke out of turn,” Azula answers easily.

“Are you serious?”

She shrugs. “I wasn’t there, but what everyone said was that he interrupted one of Father’s investors during a big business meeting. I remember when they got home that day, though—Father was shouting and Uncle was trying to calm him down. I thought it was just the same old shit. Father said something about teaching Zuko a lesson and dragged him to the kitchen. Then I heard the screaming and _begging_ … I ran in just in time to see him push my brother’s face right into the stove.”

“I’ll never forget the sound. And _god_ , the smell…” Azula mutters, rubbing her hands up and down on her arms as they prickled with goosebumps. “Luckily for Zuzu, Uncle was there. He was taken to hospital right away, so he didn’t go blind in that eye. He missed school for a year. Recovery didn’t take _that_ long, but I guess he was humiliated. I know if it were me, I’d sooner kill myself than show my face to anyone ever again.”

“Nothing happened to your father?”

Azula’s lip curls. “You can get away with anything when your pockets are deep enough.”

“I guess that’s true,” Mai says dispiritedly, feeling as if she had just watched a hit and run upon hearing about such injustice.

“You know what’s strange? Even after what he did, Zuzu’s still trying to win him over. He’s like a little puppy.” Azula shakes her head. “He still sends birthday presents and some other stupid shit to our address. It’s pathetic to watch, really. But it’s funny.”

“That’s sad,” Mai says ruefully, feeling a slight twinge in her chest at the mental image; Zuko, alone, thoughtfully putting his all into his gifts only for them to meet whatever wretched destiny awaits them at the place he used to call home.

“It’s pretty amusing to me,” Azula chuckles belligerently.

Mai scowls at her attitude. “Seriously? He’s your _brother_.”

“So?”

“How could you say that?” Mai asks in disbelief.

Azula turns her gaze at her, eyes blazing with barely contained rage. She rips the mask off of her face and balls it up in her hand. “You see, Mai, it’s pretty fucking hard to feel sorry for him when he always gets anything he wants. He had our mother’s attention all to himself. She thought I was a monster, while in her eyes he could never do anything wrong. Our stupid fatso uncle, too. He has his stupid fucking friends. He’s got everything. Even Ty Lee and _you_.” The watery substance from the mask runs down from her fist to her elbow, dripping onto her borrowed nightdress. “So forgive me if I find his desperation for our father's approval laughable. Did I answer all your questions, Mai?”

Mai hesitates. “Are things okay at home? With your dad?”

Azula’s brow twitches, agitated. “That’s a stupid thing to ask.”

Her words hang in the air for an uncomfortable spell as Mai tries and fails to find which words to say except, “Sorry.”

“Whatever,” Azula says apathetically. Mai gets an eerie feeling watching her expression shift quickly from anger to nothingness in the blink of an eye. “You can take that off, you look stupid.”

After the previous night’s restless and awkward sleeping arrangement, Mai finally breaks the tense silence between the two of them as they strolled along the sidewalk, the school building looming over them a short distance away.

“I want to apologize about last night,” she forces the words out. She steals a glance at Azula, who gives no indication of having heard her, stone-faced with her eyes fixed straight ahead.

“I’m sorry for digging all that up,” she says in reference to last night’s sensitive subjects, although she feels that it might have done some good, that Azula did need to get her feelings about them out of her system somehow. “I should have minded my business.”

Azula sighs. “It’s only fair after I showed up at your house out of the blue, so it’s fine. Sorry for snapping at you, I guess.”

Mai smiles weakly, looking at the ground.

“Did I get you in trouble with your parents?”

“It’s fine.”

“I can get my father to endorse yours, if you want,” Azula offers, no emotion in her voice.

“Doesn’t matter to me either way,” Mai says unaffectedly.

Azula concedes with a shrug, electing to walk quietly as they pass the school gates, approaching the shoe lockers.

“Well, now we both have dirt on each other,” she says after a stretch of companionable silence (as companionable as can be for the two of them, at least). “I guess we _are_ officially friends.”

Mai rolls her eyes. “It’s not about having something to hold over each other’s heads.”

“But it is,” Azula counters, cocking her head in mock confusion. “How else would I keep you?”

“You could try being nice.”

“Ha. As if.”

“Morning!” Ty Lee says radiantly, bounding over with sprightly steps as soon as she spots them. She looks between the two, brows furrowing and mouth pulling into a frown. “You guys look tired.”

“Aren’t you observant,” Azula drawls. Mai lours at her disapprovingly as Ty Lee laughs uneasily.

“She decided to show up at my house last night and overstay her welcome,” Mai says in explanation. Azula ignores the jab, preoccupied with slipping her shoes on.

“Ooh, you had a sleepover?” Ty Lee asks with a sideways glance at Azula. For a split-second, her smile falters and Mai thinks there was a quick flash of hurt across her face.

“Trust me, it was anything but fun,” she deadpans, starting to switch into her shoes. She straightens up afterwards and breaks the awkward silence that had fallen over them, offering her friend a small smile. “I’ll see you guys later.”

Ty Lee smiles back, so forced that it looks like a grimace. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for being gone so long, life got kinda crazy :/ but i'm back!! i love and appreciate all of your comments, i'm glad you guys are sticking it out with me <3


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